Heretofore, a wide variety of anti-personnel weaponry and ammunition have been employed with varying degrees of success. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,990 issued to John F. Rowe on May 18, 1976 relates to anti-personnel ammunition containing highly efficient, low drag fragments normally suitable for artillery ranges which possess point blank range capability and evidence the same aerodynamic configuration as other ammunition fired from the same weapon. Fragments employed by the patentee are in the form of fin-stabilized projectiles or flechettes comprising hard materials such as steel. Although this weaponry has met with a certain degree of success, the weaponry design employed requires an internal charge together with a plurality of detonator systems to disperse the system payload. Accordingly, this design is more costly and complex, so enhancing the likelihood of failure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,737 issued to Ladd Yuhash et al. on Nov. 24, 1981 relates to a projectile of intermediate size having a dual performance capability including both armor piercing for point target effectiveness and multi-directional shrapnel characteristics against area wide antipersonnel targets. The described projectile comprises a central high density core penetrator together with a plurality of radially disposed blades surrounding the core and a plastic sheath for containment the those items until used against targets. Thus, this device in addition to the anti-personnel capability also uses an armor piercing anti-tank penetrator core. Unfortunately, this approach is not practical should there be no target upon which tom direct fire. Additionally, it is less effective in that there is a reduced anti-personnel load payload, so enhancing the cost thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,459 issued to Richard T. Ziemba on Jan. 22, 1985 relates to an explosive projectile for a round of ammunition having a forward armor piercing, high explosive charge and an aft, anti-personnel, high explosive charge in a frangible casing both of which are functioned by a single detonator assembly. As indicated by the patentee, this device uses a high explosive, armor piercing charge instead of a penetrator core. This approach is impractical due to the need for an armored target and, obviously, economically unattractive since there is an aft charge for the antipersonnel shrapnel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,500 issued to Jean-Robert Fauvel et al. on Apr. 8, 1996 relates to a multiple charge munition such as a combined anti-tank and anti-personnel mine. The described munition which when placed on the ground ejects a plurality of sub-munitions. Accordingly, this provides two stages of scattering, an initial stage when the munitions are released from above the ground and a second stage when the sub-munitions are scattered from the main munitions once they are on the ground. This design differs from the heretofore described dual-purpose rounds in that both the anti-tank and the anti-personnel payload are mines. Therefore, this approach is not intended for the elimination of current personnel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,461 issued to Adolph Weber on Apr. 22, 1986 relates to a method for attacking target objects by means of small bombs ejected from a carrier or canister having a controllably ignitible ejector propellant charge for ejection of small bombs upon reaching a predetermined drop height during fall into a target area. Obviously, this device is a design suitable for a longer range than is intended herein and is a classic example of small bomb weaponry.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,516 issued to Joseph Eyal et al. on Dec. 4, 1990 relates to a fragmentation projectile such as a single or dual purpose grenade or bomblet for a cargo projectile comprising a fragmentation body enveloping an explosive charge carrying case which fragmentation body comprises one or more fragmentation rings notched it an axial direction. This device is a dual purpose munition for both anti-personnel and anti-armor use. The anti-tank portion of the device is a highly explosive charge. However, the anti-personnel portion of the device uses the fragmentation of the casing as the projectiles. Studies have revealed that this munition is not desirable due to the duality of the design. Additionally, it has proven to be less effective with respect to the antipersonnel portion due to the lack of payload.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,083 issued to Anthony M. Caruso on May 7, 1985 relates to a fragmentation casing for a munition in which the size and distribution pattern of the shrapnel is controlled. This end is attained by means of a casing formed from a stacked array of rings in which angularly oriented inner and outer surface grooves form apertures at the mutual intersections. Through the control of ring size, groove depth and shape, a light weight efficient fragmentation casing is provided in which the size, shape and bursting pattern of the resulting shrapnel is regulated in a predetermined manner. The primary focus of the patentee is upon the fragmentation casing and not the munition itself as described herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,628 issued on Jul. 6, 1993 to Michael L. Heiny relates to a high impact low penetration round including a transparent casing and a plurality of deformable pellets fired from the casing as projectiles. The pellets are formed of a lead wax material that flattens and deforms upon contact with a solid object. The purpose of the patentee was to employ a non-elastic collision projectile which increases the effectiveness of each impact. However, this design has two limitations. First and foremost, the canister must have an open end which does not provide containment of the “Lead Wax Pellets”. It also has temperature limitations and requires an indicator, so increasing the economic costs.
Accordingly, workers in the art have continued their efforts in search of alternative anti-personnel ammunition while eliminating the drawbacks encountered heretofore.